Business & Commercial Aviation, May 2017

Viewpoint

The ongoing fight over the privatization of the U.S. air traffic control system, an idea Cessna Chairman Emeritus Russ Meyer last year characterized as “a disaster for general aviation,” has produced some curious, possibly concerning, signs within the opposition....More

Intelligence

A startup with backing from Boeing and JetBlue Airways is designing a hybrid-electric regional aircraft that could enter service in the early 2020s. Zunum Aero aims to revitalize regional air transport by offering dramatically lower operating costs with an aircraft that can compete with highway travel and high-speed rail to provide fast, low-cost door-to-door service. The Kirkland, Washington-based company is planning a family of 10-50-seat aircraft, beginning early in the next decade....More

Daher has another upgraded version of its PT6-powered TBM 900 series. The new TBM 910 features a Garmin G1000 NXi flight deck, new cabin seat shapes and additional fittings. Deliveries will begin after certification, which is expected shortly....More

Quest Aircraft's Kodiak 100 has received certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The award raises the total number of countries in which the utility single-engine turboprop is certified to more than 50. The award will allow European operators with large payloads to access many more airstrips and locations that would previously have proven difficult, said Quest CEO Rob Wells....More

Compare Jet-A and avgas fuel prices by region based on a survey conducted in April 2017 by Aviation Research Group/U.S. Inc. and an analysis of the lowest fuel prices reported by FBOs on acukwik.com....More

Embraer has delivered its 400th Phenom 300. The aircraft was delivered to Daniel Randolph, CEO of EliteJets.com, a startup charter company based in Naples, Florida, whose fleet includes four Phenom 300s and one Legacy 500....More

The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) has launched a career and technical education workforce development initiative with high schools and colleges in the U.S. The program provides teacher credentialing and course materials. According to the company, students successfully completing the program are eligible to take an exam leading to Small UAS Safety Certification, which demonstrates expertise as a professional remote pilot, making them qualified for careers in the fast-growing drone industry. By 2020, the FAA estimates there could be as many as 2.3 million licensed UAS pilots....More

The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) has identified "psychological drivers of noncompliance" behind pilots' poor adherence to go-around policies. The finding has spurred a revamping of the safety advocate's long-held stable approach criteria and guidance for when a go-around is prudent. The work is part of the FSF's Go-Around Decision-Making and Execution Project....More

A years-long effort to rewrite European aircraft certification standards for many types of light aircraft is finished and the European Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) new CS-23 takes effect Aug. 15. In general, the new rules are in harmony with the FAA's new Part 23 regulations, which were published in December. Both regulations shift from design-specific requirements to consensus-based standards in helping determine compliance and airworthiness....More

The Pilatus PC-12 NG has been approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency for commercial operations in Europe. The decision means the single-engine turboprop can be operated commercially at night and under instrument flight rules across all 32 EASA member states....More

Continental Motors has delivered its 5,000th CD-100 Series engine. The company, which is based in Mobile, Alabama, has produced the engine for 15 years, and the series Jet A-fueled piston engines have surpassed 5.25 million flight hours....More

In a surprise announcement,Textron Aviation reported that Purdue Aviation had committed to adding the diesel-powered Cessna 172 to its training fleet. FAA and EASA certifications of the Turbo Skyhawk JT-A are expected later this year....More

GE Aviation has submitted a type certification request to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its H Series aerobatic engine. The powerplant features a single lever to control both the engine and propeller, which the manufacturer says will significantly reduce pilot workload and provide automatic limiting functions. The engine, which GE says is targeted for the aircraft in the 550-850-shp range, is expected to be awarded certification in 2018....More

Tecnam has launched a slot-deposit program for its P2012 Traveler. The high-wing, 11-seat piston twin lists for $2.35 million. A deposit of $107,000 allows customers to take delivery positions in 2019 and freezes the pricing....More

Buyers of the Textron Aviation TTx single-engine aircraft may now customize their order through an online virtual-aircraft generator that allows them to choose from one-dozen exterior paint colors and striping, along with interior and avionics options. Those include a traffic advisory system; Garmin XM weather and radio datalink; Jeppesen Chartview; automatic direction finder; distance measuring equipment; and other features. other extras. The aircraft’s base price is $715,000....More

Pentastar Aviation has received FAA certification of compatibility of wireless data technologies on Gulfstream Aerospace GIV-X (G350/G450) series aircraft, the company said. The Supplemental Type Certificate allows operators to approve the use of Transmitting Portable Electronic Devices onboard aircraft with wireless networks or Wi-Fi hot spots for passengers, who may email, talk, text and video conference without interfering with safety critical systems on the aircraft....More

Jet Aviation's maintenance center in Vienna has gained FAA repair station approval and is registered to provide line and base maintenance services to all N-registered aircraft it is allowed to support. The Vienna facility provides maintenance support to owners and operators in Eastern Europe, where about 10% of all N-registered aircraft in EMEA and Asia are based or operating....More

The FAA has issued its first airspace restrictions that specifically apply only to unmanned aerial vehicles, banning flights under 400 ft. AGL within the boundaries of 133 military facilities. The special security restrictions took effect April 14. The agency warns that violations could result in criminal charges, civil penalties and the revocation of certificates and authorizations to operate UAVs. More restrictions may be coming....More

Oil and gas helicopter operator CHC reports emerging as an economically robust and agile competitor, 10 months after filing for bankruptcy protection. The Canadian operator, which has its headquarters in Texas, says the court confirmed its financial restructuring on March 24. The new CHC is lighter to the tune of 80 helicopters, $1 billion of debt, and another $1.4 billion in lease obligations....More

According to the chief economic adviser to President Donald Trump, air traffic control (ATC) reform—including privatizing ATC—could be a major element of the new administration's infrastructure buildup, but general aviation operators should not fear paying more for it. "We're probably not even going to tax general aviation," said Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council. "There's enough money in the aviation tax right now." Cohn made that comment during a so-called White House town hall on the U.S....More

Wearable technology—including head-up displays, embedded sensors, advanced textiles, embedded computing, energy harvesters, exoskeletons and communications—is being integrated into a variety of civil and military systems and components in ways not previously possible. Over the next decade, the wearable technologies market is expected to grow at a cumulative compound annual growth rate of nearly 40% and produce a cumulative global market of nearly $8 billion, according to Global Wearables Technologies Market Forecast to 2025....More

RUAG Aviation in Munich has completed a customer interior refurbishment of a new Bombardier Global 5000 registered in India to an unnamed customer. The client chose Bombardier's Authorized Service Center to install a custom configuration and RUAG to add upgrades to its inflight entertainment system and restyle additional interior elements, RUAG said. The refurbishment was completed on schedule, the company said....More

United Airlines is not the only aviation company to be confronted with public outrage recently. Angry protestors gathered outside Bombardier's Montreal headquarters recently to express their ire over the company's plan to raise the compensation of its senior executives by $32 million. As a result, on March 31, Pierre Beaudoin, the company's executive chairman, opted to forgo his extra pay—but his announcement was quickly followed by a combative statement from Bombardier's head of human resources, Jean Monty....More

China's Deer Jet plans to build up an international network of FBOs, possibly by buying established facilities as a first step. The initial focus is on the U.S., with Europe not far behind, according to Zhu Yinan, general manager of Deer Jet's FBO management division, who says the first deal could be completed this year. Creating such a service network is part of the wider strategy of the HNA Group, Deer Jet's parent company, for expanding its business internationally and building a global brand....More

Bombardier has opened a business jet service center in Tianjin, China, in a joint venture with the Tianjin Airport Economic Area. The Tianjin Service Center, located near Beijing, includes 95,766 sq. ft. of hangar space and back shop areas for maintenance, repair, overhaul and other activities. Bombardier forecasts demand for 1,100 business jets in Greater China, South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region over the next 10 years....More

Textron Aviation has begun assembly of its Citation Longitude super-midsize jet. The first four production aircraft are in progress inside the company's Plant IV in East Wichita, Textron Aviation reports. The Longitude is the first Cessna product to be manufactured inside a former Beechcraft facility. In addition, the third Cessna Citation Longitude test aircraft has completed its first flight and has joined the flight test program. During the recent 1 hr., 40 min....More

CIT Group marked the end of an era April 4 as the financial holding company exited the aircraft leasing market and closed the sale of its commercial aircraft leasing business to Avolon Holdings for a final purchase price of $10.4 billion....More

DOM Notebook

Firing an employee is one of the most unpleasant of all managerial tasks. It is emotionally draining, and there is an additional administrative burden involved to ensure that laws and company policies are followed in the process. Review the issues at play from the perspective of a director of maintenance....More

Pilot Report

The 505 Jet Ranger X meets Bell’s targets and is an able successor to the iconic Model 206. And with a base of about $1.2 million, the 505 should prove to be a popular competitor in the entry-level, light-turbine helicopter market — a market its predecessor helped create....More

In the rapidly receding world of incandescent light bulbs, light produced is simply measured in watts. Today, LEDs are becoming the standard, but a number of other bulbs have appeared, with advantages and disadvantages. This expansion required a new means of measuring light, with the lumen (from Latin, meaning light) emerging from a coalition of more than 40 organizations....More

In a sense, aerospace provided a platform for worldwide recognition of LEDs when film director Stanley Kubrick teamed with watchmaker Hamilton to create a clock with glowing red digital numerals for his 1968 film, "2001: A Space Odyssey."...More

With a vote on March 9 by their respective stockholders regarding the proposed acquisition of B/E Aerospace, Rockwell Collins moved a step closer to establishing a major presence in aircraft lighting....More

The flow of relatively young, high-time business jets exiting the fleets of fractional ownership companies could allow whole ownership for first-time buyers while supporting a vigorous charter business that could nearly cover the cost of ownership....More

2017 Purchase Planning Handbook

According to the Aircraft Electronics Association's year-end market report, total worldwide business and general aviation electronics sales for 2016 amounted to some $2.2 billion, which was down 6.4% from 2015 figures....More

For an aircraft to be listed in the Purchase Planning Handbook, a production conforming article must have flown by May 1 of this year. The dimensions, weights and performance characteristics of each model listed are representative of the current production aircraft being built or for which a type certificate application has been filed. The basic operating weights we publish should be representative of actual production turboprop and turbofan aircraft because we ask manufacturers to supply us with the average weights of the last 10 commercial aircraft that have been delivered....More

BCA subscribers, log in to download the entire 2017 Purchase Planning Handbook, including airplane comparison tables as well as Avionics Marketplace charts, which are available only in digital format....More

20/Twenty

For as little as $14 million, you can buy an early serial number 2003 Gulfstream G550, a large-cabin business aircraft that is capable of flying eight passengers more than 6,700 nm. These jets sold new for more than $45 million....More